Faced with a year-end trade deadline from the European Union, the
federal government is moving to regulate and certify organic foods.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency wants national regulations
that will allow agricultural producers to display a ``Canada
Organic'' label on their food products.

Organic foods in Canada are currently certified by a hodgepodge
of authorities, many of them accredited by the U-S Agriculture
Department.

The European Union has passed regulations that will shut its
members' borders to Canadian organic food exports on December 31st
unless Ottawa comes up with a national certification regime.